LLOYD INSURANCE HEADQUARTERS

Trieste, prospering in the 19th century thanks to the Free Port, saw the birth of several important insurance companies. The ideal city itinerary includes their architectural and artistic heritage, unfortunately not always accessible to the public.

Lloyd Adriatico Insurance was founded in Trieste in 1936 by Ugo Irneri. In the 1950s, the insurance company grew rapidly, taking advantage of the contemporary motorization of Italy. In 1963, in collaboration with Gianni Mazzocchi of the automotive magazine Quattroruote, it launched the “4R” insurance, which helped position Lloyd Adriatico among Italy’s leading insurance companies.

The company was headquartered in the Tommaseo building in Tommaseo street No. 4, built in 1824 by architect Antonio Buttazzoni. The building has always housed Caffè Tommaseo, the oldest café in Trieste, which opened in 1825. Originally known as Tomaso, the café became a gathering place for prominent figures such as Nicolò Tommaseo, bankers, journalists, artists, and men of letters, including Stendhal.

Over the years, the building underwent several modifications, including the addition of a wall with a neoclassical-style gate (later removed) and changes to the rear facade. Café Tommaseo, renovated in 1983, remains an important historical and cultural venue for the city of Trieste listed among the historic venues of Italy.